Explore cocktails crafted by this bartender.
A properly made Margarita is tart, refreshing, and showcases quality tequila rather than masking it. The golden ratio is 2:1:1 — tequila, lime, triple sec. Use blanco tequila for brightness and Cointreau instead of cheap triple sec. Fresh lime juice is non-negotiable. A salt rim amplifies the citrus and contrasts the sweet-sour balance beautifully. Served on the rocks or up — both are correct.
The Aviation appeared in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks' and is one of the great pre-Prohibition gin cocktails. Two unusual liqueurs — maraschino and crème de violette — give it an extraordinary pale lavender-blue color and floral, cherry complexity. For years it was made without the violette (it was hard to find), but Rothman & Winter revived domestic production. The violette is non-negotiable — without it you have a gin sour, not an Aviation.
Before Aperol became the global default, Venetians made their spritz with white wine and a splash of seltzer. This version uses blanc vermouth alongside Aperol for a more herbaceous, complex result than a straight Aperol Spritz. The cassis version from Burgundy is a completely different drink — this is the original Venetian aperitivo. Serve with an olive on the side — the savory contrast is part of the Venetian tradition.
The Last Word dates to the 1920s at the Detroit Athletic Club and was rescued from obscurity by Ted Saucier in his 1951 book 'Bottoms Up.' It's an equal-parts cocktail — gin, Green Chartreuse, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice — and possibly the most complex drink ever to emerge from such a simple formula. The Chartreuse brings an overwhelming burst of alpine herbs, balanced by the cherry sweetness of maraschino and the brightness of lime.